Passengers injured in balloon crash released from hospital; FAA investigating

Monday

Jul 21, 2014 at 12:28 PMJul 22, 2014 at 10:13 PM

By Jan Gottesman MANAGING EDITOR

CLINTON — Five people injured in a hot air balloon accident Saturday, around 8 p.m., have been treated and released from area hospitals with varying degrees of burns, ranging from minor to serious, according Officer Edward Jeffrey, who has been working with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) over the weekend.

Jeffrey began following the balloon when the police station started getting calls about a balloon flying low.

"I made visual contact with the operator, who waved to signal he was fine" right before the crash, Jeffrey said Monday. After the crash into electrical lines, Jeffrey said the operator indicated, after missing a possible landing site at the schools, he intended to land in the lot at Brook and Greeley streets where the balloon ended up.

There were six passengers in the balloon — four members of one family, plus a grandmother and her grandson — along with the owner/operator Derald Young, of Damn Yankee Balloons, registered in Maine.

The balloon took off from 993 Main St., Shrewsbury. The balloon itself had a valid certification, according to the FAA, with the certificate issued on July 17.

The crash knocked power out for a large portion of town, including parts of High and Main streets, with some areas not getting power restored until the early morning hours Sunday.

The crash is under investigation, with the Clinton Police, FAA and National Transportation Safety Board coordinating, according to Jeffrey.

The only statement released by the FAA as of Monday was a short statement: "A Colt Balloon was attempting to land in a residential area near Clinton, MA when it struck a power line and caught on fire on July 19 at 7:40 pm. Please contact local authorities for information on the passengers. The FAA will investigate. All information is preliminary and subject to change."

On Sunday, a company with a truck labeled Damn Yankee Balloons, of Dixfield, Maine, carted off the balloon basket.

Jeffrey said all the emergency workers on site — including police (starting with officers Brendon O'Malley and Jeffrey O'Toole, as well as Sgt. Michael Welch, who were the next officers on the scene), fire, Clinton Emergency Management Agency, mutual aid from Lancaster and Sterling and dispatcher Hannah Zola, as well as homeowners Dennis McDonald and Dot Dunlop — worked together to secure the site (as a crime scene), help the injured and aid the FAA.

Jeffrey said many citizens who were photographing the accident also stepped up to help warn others about live wires at the scene.